#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 11 Aug 2020 04:20:21 PST
Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Opioid-Sparing Effects on Pain Patients
Tucson, AZ: The adjunctive use of cannabis is associated with a reduction in opioid use and emergency room visits among patients with non-cancer pain, according to the findings of a literature review published in the journal Systemic Reviews.
A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Health, analyzed data from nine studies involving 7,222 participants with non-cancer chronic pain.
Authors identified "a much higher reduction in opioid dosage, reduced emergency room visits, and hospital admissions for chronic non-cancer pain by MC [medical cannabis] users, compared to people with no additional use of MC. There was 64 to 75 percent reduction in opioid dosage for MC users and complete stoppage of opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain by 32 to 59 percent of MC users, when compared to patients without additional use of MC."
The findings are consistent with those of several prior studies concluding that pain patients enrolled in state-sponsored medical cannabis access programs typically reduce or eliminate their opioid use over time.
Authors concluded, "Given the current opioid epidemic in the USA and medical cannabis's recognized analgesic properties, MC could serve as a viable option to achieve opioid dosage reduction in managing non-cancer chronic pain."
Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis for the reduction of opioid dosage in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain: A systematic review," appears in Systematic Reviews. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, "Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids."
Study: Nearly One-in-Four US Adults Acknowledge Having Consumed Cannabis in the Past Year
Cambridge, MA: Nearly one-in-four US adults say that they have consumed cannabis within the past year, according to data published in the journal BMJ Open.
Researchers affiliated with Harvard Medical School and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston assessed marijuana use data from a nationally representative sample of over 35,000 US adults.
They reported, "Overall, 53.5 percent of the US adult population reported ever using marijuana between 2005 and 2018. The prevalence of lifetime marijuana use, and first use before the age of 18, remained stable between 2005 and 2018. Overall 22.6 percent of US adults reported using marijuana within the last year."
Consistent with prior studies, authors found evidence that those young adults who consume cannabis are doing so more frequently, but they did not report that a greater overall percentage of young adults overall were now using it.
Full text of the study, "Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the changes in marijuana use in the USA, 2005-2018," appears in BMJ Open.
Clinical Trial: CBD Administration Associated with Greater Likelihood of Cannabis Abstinence Among Those Seeking to Quit
London, United Kingdom: The administration of high doses of cannabidiol is associated with increased cannabis abstinence among marijuana consumers seeking to quit, according to placebo-controlled clinical data published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry,
A team of researchers from the University College of London assessed the use of CBD versus placebo over a 12-week period in a group of 82 participants diagnosed with problematic cannabis use. All of the study's subjects had expressed a desire to quit cannabis, but had previously been unable to successfully do so.
Authors reported that daily doses of 400 mgs of CBD decreased the number of cannabis cigarettes that subjects smoked per week. Doses of 800 mgs of CBD were associated with less significant changes in outcomes compared to placebo, while doses of 200 mgs of CBD were not shown to be effective.
They concluded, "In the first randomized clinical trial of cannabidiol for cannabis use disorder, cannabidiol [doses of] 400 mg and 800 mg were safe and more efficacious than placebo at reducing cannabis use."
Prior clinical trials have reported that CBD administration is associated with reduced cravings for both heroin and tobacco. A literature review published in the journal Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment previously concluded, "CBD seems to have direct effects on addictive behaviors."
Full text of the study, "Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis use disorder: A phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, adaptive Bayesian trial," appears in Lancet Psychiatry.
Maryland: Marijuana Odor Insufficient Cause for a Warrantless Search
Baltimore, MD: Police may not rely on the odor of marijuana as a justification to perform a warrantless search of a person or to make an arrest, according to a unanimous decision issued last week by the state's highest court.
The court opined: "The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures prohibits law enforcement officers from arresting and searching a person without a warrant based solely upon the odor of marijuana on or about that person. Probable cause to conduct a lawful arrest requires that the arrestee committed a felony or was committing a felony or misdemeanor in a law enforcement officer's presence. Possession of less than ten grams of marijuana is a civil offense, not a felony or a misdemeanor [in the state of Maryland], therefore law enforcement officers need probable cause to believe the arrestee is in possession of a criminal amount of marijuana to conduct a lawful arrest. The odor of marijuana alone does not indicate the quantity, if any, of marijuana in someone's possession."
The ruling reverses a lower court ruling that had held the search to be lawful. The ruling does not overturn prior case law in the state upholding some searches of a person's vehicle based on the smell of cannabis.
Courts in various other states, including Colorado, Massachusetts, and Vermont, have also issued opinions limiting the ability of an officer to conduct a warrantless search following statewide changes in the legal status of cannabis possession.
The case is Lewis v. Maryland.
Additional information is available in the paper, "In the age of decriminalization, is the odor of marijuana enough to justify a warrantless search?"
New York: Albany Police Disproportionately Target Blacks for Marijuana Violations
Albany, NY: Those cited by police for violating marijuana laws in the city of Albany are almost exclusively Black people, according to an analysis of citywide arrest data by the Albany Times Union.
Black people comprised 97 percent of those arrested or ticketed for marijuana violations over the past year (July 9, 2019 to July 9, 2020). Nearly sixty percent of all of the violations reported were for simple possession only. Only four whites were cited for marijuana offenses during the one-year period.
In an e-mailed statement, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, "The city of Albany Police Reform Collaborative will be undertaking a comprehensive review of the Albany Police Department data associated with arrests by race, gender, and other demographics, and we look forward to having a robust community discussion around these statistics."
Prior analyses of citywide arrest data in Buffalo and in New York City have similarly determined that Black people are disproportionately arrested for marijuana-related activities. Nationwide, Blacks are nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested for marijuana violations, according to data compiled in May by the American Civil Liberties Union.
New York lawmakers significantly amended the state's marijuana possession penalties in 2019 partly in response to allegations of racially motivated policing.
For more information, see NORML's Fact Sheet, "Racial Disparities in Marijuana Arrests."
Illinois: Retail Cannabis Sales Surge Over 20 Percent Month-Over-Month
Springfield, IL: Sales of adult-use cannabis products in Illinois rose over 20 percent in July to reach a record high, according to data provided by the state's Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The agency reported just under $61 million in retail, adult-use cannabis sales for the month of July, up 22 percent from June and an increase of 36 percent since January - when legal sales began in the state. (Sales of medical cannabis products were not calculated in the tallies.)
The state's rising sales totals are consistent with data from other states, like Colorado and Oregon, which have similarly reported record high revenue from the sales of marijuana products in recent months. According to a recent economic analysis published by New Frontier Data, "One unanticipated effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the growth acceleration of legal cannabis markets (and erosion of the illicit markets) in those states which have activated both medical and adult-use sales."
Illinois is among dozens of states that designated marijuana retailers as "essential" businesses during the pandemic - allowing them to provide uninterrupted, and in some cases, expanded services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, "Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, and Economy."
FDA Expands Prescription Use of Cannabis Plant-Derived Therapy
Washington, DC: Regulators with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval on Friday for the use of the cannabis plant-derived prescription drug Epidiolex in patients with the genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
The disorder is characterized by the growth of benign tumors in various parts of the body. The condition may also cause neurological changes which may result in personality changes and involuntary seizures. Epidiolex, which primarily consists of plant-derived CBD, was previously approved as an anticonvulsant by the FDA in 2018 for patients with two rare forms of severe epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
The drug had previously been shown to reduce seizure frequency and be well-tolerate in TSC patients in a series of clinical trials, suggesting that the mechanism of action of CBD's anti-seizure activity is not limited solely to those with epilepsy.
For more information, see NORML's Fact Sheet, "FAQs About Cannabidiol."
